


The Sunshine Rebirth

by VAKYN



Category: Original Work
Genre: And the Other would probably kill you, Bad English, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Tried, I think so?, I'm Not Ashamed, I'm not responsible for the angst, M/M, Multi, Not beta read so we'll gonna die like Men, One is so dense but somehow smart, Possibly Unrequited Love, Probably a Good Idea, Royalty, Slow Burn, There's gonna be death anywhere, Time Travel, What Have I Done, Whatever you should read it, You Have Been Warned, and the plot thickens, give them love, i need a beta reader, i'm not a english native speaker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21754429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VAKYN/pseuds/VAKYN
Summary: Having an abrupt culmination of a revolution, the Palace of the Ri Kingdom witnesses both selfish and altruistic manipulations. Also, the Haryzont River is a witness to a special history that embraces centuries.With a foreign body, Lawrence Rutherford must discover his own path to where he belongs. The traveler Huang QianChen accompanies him on this turbulent journey, in which it signifies the rebirth of a forgotten life, and thus be able to burn the feathers of a phoenix that has chased time with resentment.After all, the sunshine has been reborn.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	The Sunshine Rebirth

**Author's Note:**

> To y'all, thank you for reading this. I'm happy to share this ongoing work, and I would appreciate your love!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!  
> My English isn't that great, but I hope you can understand most of it.

An exorbitant sound strikes between the apertures of the population living on the foothills of the Agora¹ mountain. The dust emanating from the rubble causes some people to retreat to their homes, not without carrying their belongings and their children. But some brave ones come out and approach the ruins, as they raise the sleeves of their robes to cover their noses.

Out of nowhere, a merchant carrying potatoes on his back sack comes running with his face stained with blood and dust, getting to stop in front of the curious people: "Our temple of the Sun God has collapsed! The Consort King has died!"

Such words cause clamors in the peasants and despite breathing the dirty air, full of dirt, they emerge from their houses with astonished faces. Some are puzzled, others begin to show despair.

The loud walking are heard in the distance, stealing all attention from the people. Turning around, a large herd of horses marches violently, with air mercilessly emanating from their nostrils. Their backs carry knights, dressed in majestic white-colored robes. On their chests and backs is engraved with gold threads the seal of the Ri Kingdom, consisting of a sun flaming all around its circumference, with the ends of its flames fading into drawings of sunflowers.

"Be careful!" shouts one of the peasants, who tries not to let his little son go into the middle of the street.

The knights wield their sword and continue to advance down the street where the temple collapsed. But, contrary to the expectations of the villagers, they divide and surround the temple to pass to the other side, without a break. The dirt that is shaken from the march of the horses makes it impossible to see what is going on.

"Where are they heading?!" yells a person who covers his eyes with his handkerchief. "Don't leave us alone!"

But the knights cannot hear him. Indeed, they disappear without saying anything. The peasants look at the destroyed temple with dismay. They don't say anything, they just stand there while sorrow becomes common in their expressions.

It is not until a child, who is holding his mother's hand, contemplates her bending over from below and with his voice barely audible, asks something that sends chills to the woman.

"Mom, what happened to the temple? Did they leave us alone?"

An old man raises one of his hands, pointing his index finger at the sky. A nasal cry comes from his throat, very angry: "The sun has cursed us! The sun has cursed us! Who will save us now?!"

"Don't say that!" A woman cries, who is leaning against the window from her house. "Please don't! Delete those words!"

Regret flies to that man, tensing his posture. He begins to stutter an apology, while he puts his palms together and makes straight bows. However, a strong wind strikes the faces of all who are present. More dust rises, completely blurring their visions. From out of nothing, a loud whining resounds in the middle of the street.

When the wind fades, a girl sits on the dirty ground. Her clothes are wet and her fetal position is so cramped at her knees that her face is not visible. But everyone hears clearly how she cries.

One of the villagers approaches and crouches at the height of the girl, touching her shoulder. But she doesn't move.

"Child, where's your mother?" asks the worried man. As she lifts her red face stained with tears, a smile appears.

"Where am I?" said the girl with fear, hugging her legs.

"You are in the Agora mountain, in the Ri Kingdom. Where did you come from?" The peasant speaks with amazement, moving his hand away from the girl's shoulder. Shortly after, he straightens his back.

The girl swallows, as if she is hesitating to say something else. Her restless frown deepens.

"I don't remember."

"Oh, oh! Isn't that Knight Hwang?" Interrupted a person exclaiming, pointing at a distance. The girl, sighing with relief as she no longer receives attention, shakes her head to look over her shoulder.

In effect, it's him. His horse walks gracefully, without losing any indicated step on the ground. He remains with his back so upright, his black tunic flutters elegantly, wearing the seal of the Ri Kingdom and looks at everyone with disdain. But when he looks at the girl, the knight Hwang tightens his jaw and grips the leather straps.

"Stay away from her." He says, getting out of the horse saddle. He walks towards her and taking her little hand, forces her to get up. Then he wipes the traces of water from her face, and observing the bruises that adorn her, he clears his throat and raises his gaze. "I'm so sorry, thank you for taking care of my niece."

"Is she your niece? Forgive us!" they all shout in unison, bowing again. The Knight Hwang doesn't care about that, and he subtly lifts the confused girl. He carries her in his arms and returns to the side of his horse.

"Sorry, RiEun. You must have been confused." says the Knight Hwang, looking at her tenderly. The girl, with an unnoticed grimace, nods.

"Uncle...?" the girl asks with insecurity. Her chest hurts when it tells her something is wrong, but she prefers to hug the neck of the Knight Hwang and close her eyes.

"That's my good girl." The man whispers, before moving RiEun to raise her up and put her in the chair. Soon after, he climbs up and accommodates the girl, who lies on his chest and falls asleep. Then the Knight Hwang violently shakes the straps, going the same way as the horsemen in the white robes.

A wet sensation disturbs the people in that town, at the very moment when the silhouette of the Knight Hwang fades. One of them raises his hand and notices that they are drops of water. The clouds, appearing suddenly, cover the sun forever.

"Our Sun has really abandoned us..." That same person bitterly murmurs, and contemplates the horizon towards the mountain, highlighting the dampened wrecks of the temple.

At the expense of the sublime sun of the Ri Kingdom, the rain begins to bring drops of water so calm and serene.

* * *

The shrill sound of the rain against the roof of the inner palace of the Ri Kingdom doesn't camouflage the shattered screams of the Empress RiSeun, who lies on an oak table.

There's a group of court ladies around her, and they watch how the royal matron carefully handles the metal tools given to her by one of them. The doctor's apron is bloody but that doesn't stop her from working.

The empress's legs are open and stained with blood, but her robe covers only a piece of her thigh. The curve of her large belly, coated with the red cloth of her royal robes and engraved with a golden seal of a phoenix, does not allow the empress to observe very well what is going on. 

Although she is drugged with medicinal herbs, the constant exposure to pain makes her body sweat, causing her to become half lucid. His reddish eyes narrowed in pain observe the wooden shed painted a turquoise and emits several groans; her hands quickly go to grab the edges of the table tightly and when the midwife tells her to breathe in the rhythm of the contractions, even when the empress tries to breathe deeply, she screams until she runs out of voice.

With concern written on her face, the doctor raises one of her hands and gestures, while mumbling behind her white veil that covers her mouth and nose. The ladies of the court understand the gesture and close the circle of people closer to the body of the empress.

They make a brief bow before saying in unison an apology for the empress, to move on to take her arms and the shoulders of Her Majesty to contain her brusque movements.

"Give her more herbal water", commands the doctor, taking the tweezers from the table to bring them closer between her legs.

A lady bows and turns quickly to go to a servant, who holds a silver tray. There is a bowl of herbal water, and she takes it. Then she quickly turns back, brings the bowl to the mouth of the empress and forces her to take it. However, the empress spits it out and the liquid mixed with her saliva runs incessantly down her chin, further wetting the neck of her robe. The lady is surprised by such action and looks at the doctor in fear. She reciprocates with a look of resignation and straightens her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter. If that is what Your Majesty wants, then I will continue", says the doctor without much assurance in her voice. Lowering her gaze to the blood, she takes a breath. "Your Majesty, prepare to bid."

The empress's response is a grunt, and she struggles with the ladies of the court to get up, but they don't flinch. The empress then glances momentarily at one of the court ladies, and gathering all her strength, she lifts her arm out of the clutches of the group of women to hold the lady's wrist, and without much care, pulls it closer to her face to look at it sullenly.

"My baby is not safe here." she mumbles quickly, wheezing endlessly. The sweat on her forehead is a river that runs from her hair to her jaw. The court lady nods in horror. "Then, as I am Your Majesty, I will give you a royal command. Take my baby to a secure fortress, do not let them see you. I beg you to hide her existence, and if necessary, kill anyone you discover."

"But, Your Majesty..."

"It is a royal order. There's a civil war going on outside, and you know I won't allow them to take my baby's life. First take me than... to her." says the empress with difficulty, but a scream in her throat comes out and the court lady rushes away from her. The doctor, without wondering, raises her head and wrinkles her forehead. 

"Your Majesty, please push."

The order arrives at the empress without any problem, and she begins to scream, while degrading her sweaty face into a grimace of pain. Tears emanate from her eyes, but she continues to push despite being full of physical pain.

An hour passes before the empress hears some unknown sounds that break the tense atmosphere of the place. She breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes that it's her baby crying. 

The grips of the court ladies are gone, so she raises her arms and looks at her sullied robe. But then she drops one of her arms and her eyes wander to the cut lady she chatted with earlier, lying there for a moment to catch her attention. When she succeeds, her parched lips murmur something incomprehensible, causing the court lady to melt her dejected face into one of terror.

The doctor, finishing the procedures so that the baby does not suffer any mishap, calls one of her assistants to clean the baby and the cutter sticks to the assistant like a limpet. She asks her shortly after to let her take it, for safety reasons. The helper, when she finishes cleaning the baby, nods and bows as soon as she leaves the newborn in the lady's hands. All this happens in front of the clever eyes of the empress.

The doctor gets up from her wooden chair, ignorant of the empress's orders. She commands her assistants to help Her Majesty and the court ladies to clean the room. When she observes that they are all concentrated on their tasks, she notices the woman resting peacefully.

Content with her duty done, she opens the door of the hall and leaves. She meets the rest of the court ladies, kneeling on both sides of the hall. A eunuch approaches and asks her about the empress's condition. The doctor tells him with a smile not to worry, that she will be fine, and she sees that the eunuch is loosening up his body. The two of them bow and say goodbye, bringing the exchange to a close.

She walks to the middle of the corridor when she hears distant screams from her back, but is startled and turns around when the noise of a door slamming open echoes down the corridor.

"Your Majesty, can you keep still?!" exclaimed the doctor's assistants.

"No, never! I must go outside!" the empress shouts, holding on to the door frame.

"But, Your Majesty...!"

"Hush, hush!" She makes an abrupt backward motion and stops, moving away from the door frame. With the physical pain eating away at her legs and pelvis, the empress walks with a limp. The racket caused by the court ladies and attendants gradually ceases.

The doctor rushes to her to go on her walk and bring her back to the table, but the empress who is warned of her intentions pushes her very hard and throws her aside. Tripping over her feet, the woman falls to the ground. Concentrating on advancing with hard steps, the empress leaves the doctor behind and leaves the corridor.

Although the suffering is abysmal with every step she takes, she reaches the courtyard and there is a riot outside. Palace guards fight fiercely against people in navy blue robes, with no sewn-in patterns, their faces covered with a flight of the same color. These individuals carry swords so light but sharp that they successfully cut the throats of several escorts.

The empress takes the opportunity to stand near a wooden pillar and stands there to recover from her trajectory. She feels the blood emanating from her birth coursing through her legs and listens intently to the frantic footsteps of her servants, but she directs a sidelong glance at an approaching black-robed guard, and deepens her frown. In one swift move, she goes and strips him of his sword.

"Your Majesty..." says the guard in terror, as he walks away with his hands raised, watching the empress point her sword at him.

"Run away!" shouts the empress voicelessly, waving her sword in the direction of the door and receiving raindrops that soak her face and hair. The guard follows the order and opens the doors of the corridor, showing the servants with astonished expressions.

Ignoring them, the empress descends the stairs, removing the protection of the roof, and she's instantly wet. She straightens her posture and moves forward slowly, her panoramic view revealing people fighting with swords, soldiers falling like sandbags, and a pile of dust flying through the air. The rain makes it difficult to get a clear view, but the empress does not mind as she wields her sword and fights with all the pain she suffers.

"Damn traitors! You will die from the weight of my sword!"

She shouts in fury and strikes the sword sideways on the neck of one of the people dressed in navy blue. And then she carelessly pulls out the weapon, resulting in her face being splattered with blood.

"I will put you at the ruthless mercy of the Sun and you will suffer!"

With this phrase, she forces himself to the task of manipulating her sword to take as many lives as possible, thus trying to protect her nation from possible malevolent and greedy people. With every move, she makes her face and neck more dirty, becoming covered with the spilled blood of the people dressed in navy blue.

However, the exhaustion of her physical condition rises to the point of diminishing her reaction time. That is why when a very sharp arrow is aimed at her chest, she cannot turn around to avoid it and lets it crash into her body. The pain that the wound expels makes her scream, but the loud moaning that it emits then causes her to vomit blood. The thick liquid runs steadily from the corners of her mouth, combines with raindrops, and without allowing for any more stability, her eyes turn and she falls to the ground in a second.

The rainwater disturbs her eyes, but she doesn't close them. Instead, she looks up at the dark sky and thinks of her baby.

"I couldn't see his little face..." she coughs up blood again. Her mouth grimaces and clears her throat. "My love... I'll protect you no matter what..."

Her voice cuts out. The fierce gleam in his eyes fades and his eyelids slowly drops. His nostrils are no longer flapping violently, his chest stops rising and falling. The mouth breathes a last and the body stands still, while the blood still runs, soaked in water. The empress receives the side effect of death.

* * *

The court lady is running through the hidden corridors of the palace. In desperation, she does not know which way to go, demonstrating her agitated movement in several turns to different sides. She does not step into any corridor so she stands there in the middle, listening in dread to the distant screams of the people in battle. She squeezes the still bloody bundle in her hands more tightly.

A crackling sound interrupts the air. A blind lightning bolt lands on the maid's neck: it is a sword. The blood emanates like a line from the handle of the weapon to the edge of the neck and stains it. A deeply frightened expression is marked on the woman's facial lines, her body does not move at all and the knuckles of her hands turn white because of the grip of the bundle.

"Here is one who has escaped. What is your name?" asks a deep, low voice that bursts into silence. It belongs to a man, standing behind them, wearing a green robe.

"I'm very sorry..." says the weeping woman.

"Say your name." the man eagerly spits out his name. The sword stands firm.

"This servant, loyal to His Majesty, is asking for your mercy." she says, shrinking her stance around the bundle she passionately protects. Her eyebrows raise in alert.

"What is that lump you are hiding?" asks the man as he takes a quick look at the trembling woman's arms.

She is startled and hurts her back superficially, denying with short movements of her head: "It is nothing, my lord. It is only a pile of cloths."

He raises one of his eyebrows and then narrows his eyes. He jumps first to the side and then to the front of the court lady, moving the sword around but not sinking it into her skin.

"Open the bundle." He commands by shaking his chin sharply.

"No, sir..." says the lady in a pitiful tone.

"Otherwise, I'll assume you're committing treason against Her Majesty." the man speaks coldly, taking a few steps forward, bringing the sword handle close to the lady's neck.

"If I do or do not commit treason, that is to be left to Her Majesty's judgment." mumbles the woman, squeezing the lump even more tightly.

However, the woman's eyes open reflecting the lights of the wooden lamps that lie on the floor of the corridor. The sword slides relentlessly, splashing blood on the wall next to it. The body of the court lady falls, making a sharp blow as it hits the wooden floor. The man manages to grab the package in time, and watches in irritation as the woman is surrounded by an immense pool of blood.

But his irritation disappears, and instead a curious look appears on the man's hairy features. He throws the sword aside and with one of his bloody hands he lifts one of the wrappings from the bundle.

The baby appears in his sight, without making a sound. The man moves his eyes erratically, while his nostrils blow furiously.

"Princess... Why isn't she reacting?" he says worried. He empties his hand and brings it closer to feel his breath. He doesn't feel anything. His hand shakes furiously, covering the baby with the wrap, and he turns around and clears his throat. "Everyone, leave the palace!"

So he runs to the exit of the corridor and turns to reach the entrance. He signals to a waiting guard and approaches his ear to whisper the following: "I will need your protection."

He receives a nod from the guard and the two of them set off to flee to the doors beside the inner palace and into one of the passages leading to the outside of the outer palace. The two find themselves with some rebels, but the guard takes care of them and the lord advances, leaving him behind.

With the rain now stopped and the clouds still in place, he successfully leaves the palace and walks for a few hours, scattering the trail and hiding from the rebels. He reaches a sector near the Haryzont² river, which is hidden behind the villas and commercial estates that belong to the Vojo de la Suno³ avenue. There, a humble hanok⁴ is established, built of wood and mud. The windows remain dark, as if the house is waiting for something.

The man enters without hesitation, climbing to the entrance platform and carefully touches the wooden door. He does not receive any sound, but he forces it in and enters without hesitation. Everything is dark, and a chilling atmosphere is in the air.

"She's dead, isn't she?" a voice bursts into the silence. The man recognizes her and breathes heavily.

"Yes, Knight Hwang. I didn't manage to save her." He murmurs sadly, lowering his chin to look at the lump in his hands, shaking it with dread.

"Come closer, Royal Secretary." Knight Hwang commands. The secretary, after making his eyes accustomed to the darkness that the night offers, glimpses the Knight Hwang sitting in front of him, in the position of a lotus flower. 

He moves around the table and sits on a cushion of straw, in the same position as Knight Hwang. Still with his trembling hands, he leaves the bundle on the table, much to the dismay of Knight Hwang.

"What do you propose, Lord Hwang? The Empress is dead." mumbles the angry man.

"Bury the princess." responds the Knight Hwang with the utmost indifference.

"But...?!" shouts the secretary, but the word dies in his throat, remaining silent.

"I have spoken to the one who plotted this crime of treason. As you know, we must be on the side that best suits us." speaks the gentleman, very much aware of the secretary's denial of his head. "Don't worry, he has spared your life. Besides, I have something to calm people down."

Although the conversation seems pleasant, a sob breaks up the tense atmosphere. The Secretary quickly lowers his eyes to the bundle and his expression breaks into surprise. A moan from his mouth comes out and he's a little startled, but the Knight Hwang brings his hand close to the bump and tears it off, revealing a baby breathing heavily. Her left hand is injured, bleeding beyond repair. 

“Is she... is she alive? How? I saw...” the secretary is babbling in terror. “I saw she wasn't moving at all! I...”

“This is good for us.” Mr Hwang eagerly declares, taking the baby and placing her in his lap. 

He takes a handkerchief from inside his robe and he's scraping to clean it, showing a superficial wound but it manages to emanate a lot of blood. With the same handkerchief, he slowly rolls up that hand and makes a knot at the end to secure the patch, stopping the bleeding.

“What? «This is good for us»? What are you talking about?” asks the secretary incredulously, rushing to Knight Hwang. “I beg you to give me an explanation, because I don't understand anything.”

“It favours us, because we can hide her and return her to the palace when everything is stable.” replied the knight monotonously, and made a gesture to chase away some annoying flies. He shakes the baby, trying to put it to sleep. “I want your wife to take care of her. To be the father of this baby in a certain time.”

“What?!” the other man squeals, clenching his fists. His eyes twitch into several wrinkles and his mouth grimaces in disgust. “How did you come up with such nonsense?!”

“Not to mention her, the whole royal family is dead. Even if the princess went to the palace now, you'd have to endure years of anarchy.” says the Knight Hwang, shaking his shoulders to ease the pain in his back. The Royal Secretary is stunned. “Or would you prefer that the Court Real⁵ impose its tyranny?”

“No, of course not. But... his idea is very nonsensical.” says the Royal Secretary, lowering his worried gaze. “And what will the palace do without a monarch? We would still have anarchy.”

“Don't worry. I've found a five-year-old girl who looks just like His Majesty. She will go to the palace instead of the princess, and she will be the queen.” announces with a short sigh, pouting with anxiety. “And before you tell me it's a crazy idea, every idea is crazy in times of disorder. You know very well that the Aqua Clan observes our movements in detail.”

The Royal Secretary sinks into awe, remembering the frictions of the Ri Kingdom and the Aqua Clan. Years of confrontation and failed agreements cast a shadow over the Secretary's mind; he is certain that the Aqua Clan must be rejoicing at the fall of the Ri Kingdom.

“Are you sure of this idea?” he asks hesitantly, contemplating how Knight Hwang rises with the baby. However, even though he sees the other man deliver the bundle in front of his eyes, he is slow to take her. “By the blessed rays of the sun...”

Gently shaking his head, Knight Hwang straightens up and fixes his gaze on the sleeping bundle. The secretary, very embarrassed, averts his eyes from the other man and swallows dry.

“We will go and talk to your wife, and arrange for your home to be able to accommodate a baby.” says the man tensing his shoulders, turning towards the door. “And from there, when all is ready, we will go to a place where you can meet Her Majesty.”

"Didn't you steal her from somewhere?"

"Eventually you'll know everything." responds the Knight Hwang, much to the other person's dissatisfaction. 

In a quick action, he opens the door and leaves the place under the apprehensive gaze of the secretary.

> _When daylight's fading_
> 
> _We're gonna play in the dark_
> 
> _Till it's golden again_
> 
> 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓾𝓷 – 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:
> 
> ¹ Agora = now (not to be confused with the Greek word Agora, which means to gather).
> 
> ² Haryzont = horizon.
> 
> ³ Vojo de la Suno = "Way of the Sun" in Esperanto.
> 
> ⁴ Hanok = traditional Korean house.
> 
> ⁵ Royal Court = [clarification] in modern terms, it would be similar to a parliament.


End file.
